Pakistan: A collaborative and localized model of early child development programme development and implementation (2009)
- 1. CIES 2009 Releasing Confidence and Creativity: Early Childhood Development Programme in Pakistan A collaborative and localized model of ECD programme development and implementation Sadaf Shallwani (Aga Khan Foundation, Geneva), Zahra Rizvi & Arif Amin (Aga Khan Foundation, Pakistan) March 24, 2009 Shallwani, S., Rizvi, Z., & Amin, A. (March, 2009). Pakistan: A collaborative and localized model of early child development programme development and implementation. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society, Charleston. Contact: Sadaf Shallwani, Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education / University of Toronto. http://sadafshallwani.net
- 2. What is RCC? • Releasing Confidence and Creativity: Early Childhood Development Programme in Pakistan (since 2003) • Works with schools, families, and communities to enhance the contexts in which children aged 0-8 years are growing up • GOAL: Incorporate and institutionalize a range of replicable supports for children’s overall development as confident, capable, creative, and caring people as an integral part of the education system and of the way communities operate
- 3. RCC Objectives 1) PRE-PRIMARY AND EARLY PRIMARY SCHOOLING: • Expand the access and improve the quality of teaching/learning in katchi classes, and classes 1 and 2 (with an emphasis on reaching girls and poor communities). 2) FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES: • Develop a range of approaches which assist families and communities to increase their knowledge and skills, and their confidence in their abilities to support their children’s development. 3) STAKEHOLDERS AND SYSTEMS: • Build the capacity and commitment of key stakeholders at different levels, particularly within the education system. 4) POLICY AND ADVOCACY: • Influence ECD policy and practice, and strengthen ECD learning networks.
- 4. RCC Model RCC aims to… • Influence the contexts (environments) in which children are growing up so that they are supportive of children’s overall development (family, community, school, national policy) – Address some of the key challenges inherent in government & community primary schools in Pakistan • Promote approaches that support children's holistic development in contextually appropriate ways • Build on strengths and opportunities within the local context, and draw upon local knowledge and experience related to early childhood development
- 5. RCC Model • Based on global ECD vision, but emphasizes contextualization through collaborative and localized work: • Collaborative: Conceptualized and implemented by local NGOs with experience and expertise in different regions and disciplines • Localized: Variety of approaches developed and implemented, based on local context, culture, priorities, needs, and strengths
- 6. RCC Model Collaborative: • Partnerships with local implementing and technical agencies that are rich in local knowledge • Building on core expertise of different organizations to ensure programmes that are effective for children’s development in their local contexts
- 7. RCC Model Collaborating Partners: Implementing partners • Health and Nutrition Development Society (HANDS) • Society for Community Support for Primary Education in Balochistan (SCSPEB) • Aga Khan Education Service, Pakistan (AKES,P) • Aga Khan Health Service, Pakistan (AKHS,P) • Aga Khan Planning and Building Service, Pakistan (AKPBS,P)
- 8. RCC Model Collaborating Partners (continued): Technical partners • Sindh Education Foundation (SEF) – Dissemination and advocacy • Teachers’ Resource Centre (TRC) – Capacity building of teachers and programme staff – Urban model implementation • Aga Khan University-Institute of Education Development (AKU-IED) – Certificate & diploma courses (including teacher training) • AKU- Human Development Programme (AKU-HDP) – Advanced diploma – Community-based parent education programme • Aga Khan Foundation, Pakistan – Grant management, coordination, technical support • Royal Netherlands Embassy (donor)
- 9. RCC Model Localized: • Local partners with local knowledge, experience, expertise and long-standing relationships with local communities, stakeholders, and systems • Builds on local context and knowledge • Evolution of wide range of local models of implementation
- 10. RCC Model Localized, wide range of approaches: • Establishing katchi (pre-school) classes in 294 local schools (in Sindh, Balochistan, Northern Areas, and Northwest Frontier Province): increasing access to and quality of pre-primary and early primary classroom learning environments • Community-based nurture centres (‘Parwarish Marqaz’) • Integrated home visiting programme (child development, health, physical home environment) • Holistic community development initiatives (including adult literacy, entrepreneurship programme, midwifery training, etc.)
- 15. RCC Model Localized, wide range of approaches: • National curriculum development and implementation • Building capacity at all levels (including higher education for ECD professionals) • Promoting public awareness and awareness among key stakeholders • Knowledge sharing (conferences, publications, website), advocacy and policy dialogue • Research to explore programme effectiveness, processes and areas for improvement, and to impact policy and practice
- 16. RCC Research • Independent research studies by local partners (quantitative and qualitative, community/school-level and policy-level), e.g., – ECD mapping – Parent involvement – Public institutional capacity – Reflective assessment of teacher training • AKF-led study: Comparing a sample of RCC schools with a sample of non-RCC schools
- 17. RCC Research • RCC Schools vs Non-RCC Schools – School and child profiles • Condition of schools, enrollment / retention / repetition, teacher-child ratio (school profile) • Child tracking (child profile) – Classroom observation • Classroom learning environment • Teacher practices – Learning achievement • Literacy and numeracy in Class 1 – Psycho-social well-being
- 18. RCC Research: Classroom Observation Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS, 1980, 1998) • Adaptation for Pakistan context • ECERS-Revised (1998) • ECERS-Extension (more curriculum focused)
- 19. RCC Research: Classroom Observation ECERS-R Activities ECERS-E Classroom Literacy Interaction pedagogy Mathematics Infrastructure Space and furnishings
- 20. RCC Research • RCC Schools vs Non-RCC Schools – School and child profiles • Condition of schools, enrollment / retention / repetition, teacher-child ratio (school profile) • Child tracking (child profile) – Classroom observation • Classroom learning environment • Teacher practices – Learning achievement • Literacy and numeracy in Class 1 – Psycho-social well-being
- 21. RCC Experience • Opportunities and challenges when collaborating with such a wide range of local partners • Tensions between and among global and local ‘knowledge’ • Priorities and perspectives: – Donor – Programme – Different partners – Families, schools, and communities • Research challenges (wide range of models, contexts, and constantly evolving processes)
- 22. RCC Experience Comments, thoughts, discussion…